THE OBSOLETE SKILL
Nearly 97% of the cars that drive on American roads today have an automatic transmission, but there once was a time when manual transmissions were the industry standard. But that all changed when convenience became more important than skill.
When, why, and how this transition from skill to convenience took place:
In the 1940s, General Motors introduced the first mass-produced automatic transmission, the Hydra-Matic, on Oldsmobile models. This was a big hit during the post-WWII economic boom when more manufacturers jumped aboard the automatic craze for its convenience, not performance.
In 1957, automatic transmissions outsold manual transmissions in the United States for the first time.
By the time the 1960s rolled around, more than 50% of American cars that were sold were automatic.
Manual transmissions generally had a fuel-economy advantage over automatics until they gradually became more fuel-efficient through technological development. Better gear ratios, torque converters, lockups, electronic controls, additional gears, etc. Thus, the old fuel-economy disadvantage they once had, largely disappeared.
Many people view this transition as a technological advancement; some even see it as a breakthrough in transportation. But more disagree. In many countries outside the United States, manual transmissions have remained far more common. But why is that?
One of the defining differences between manual and automatic driving is the amount of active involvement required from the driver. That raises a larger question: what happens when convenience becomes the dominant priority in how we design the driving experience? According to the article, What Europe Can Teach America on Road Safety: Killing by Design, more Americans are killed in vehicle accidents than in Europe, both in total numbers and per person. The article states, "In America, the latest figure for the year 2022 amounts to 135 people killed per 100,000 crashes against the EU’s 4.6 deaths per 100,000 for the same year,". Additionally, American regulations for getting a driver's license are more relaxed compared to most European countries, which require driving training with higher standards and stronger/stricter traffic enforcement. The results are similar when comparing Japan and America. There are many factors at play when comparing countries, and no single factor explains the difference in traffic fatalities. Differences in licensing standards, enforcement, road design, vehicle characteristics, driving behavior, and other factors all play a role.
Automatic transmissions didn't make driving worse. They made driving easier. But in making driving easier, we also removed one of the most fundamental skills that once connected the driver directly to the machine.
Tohoku University's Institute of Development has found that driving manual transmission is actually good for the brain. Research has found that manual driving produces greater activation of the prefrontal cortex than automatic driving. The researchers suggest that the additional cognitive demands involved in manual driving may have implications for brain function. Professor Ryuta Kawashima, who focuses on neuroimaging states, "that the physical sequence of driving a manual transmission is particularly stimulating for the region of the brain that handles memory, attention, and decision-making". The research argued that operating a manual transmission is actually good for your brain health, it provides a "low-grade brain workout" that can be especially important to aging brains or developing brains!
Maybe learning to drive a manual isn't about learning an obsolete skill after all. Maybe it's about keeping the driver involved. Maybe it represents something we have gradually removed from driving: participation. In an increasingly automated world, there still is value in asking the driver to do more, not because driving needs to be harder, but because sometimes, the skill is part of the experience.
Tohoku University's Institute Study: https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a71809286/driving-manual-transmission-healthy-brain-study/
Comments